1. Technical Field
This invention generally relates to safety systems. More particularly, the invention relates to a safety assembly for a roof anchor. Specifically, the invention relates to device that is engaged between a roof truss and a roof anchor safety assembly for distributing and attenuating the forces that would be applied to the roof sheathing in the event of a roofer falling while being secured to the truss by a safety harness.
2. Background Information
There are a variety of roof anchor safety systems that are used by roofers to ensure their safety while they are working on a roof. The safety harness is worn on the body and is connected by a steel cable to an anchor that is temporarily or permanently mounted on some region of the roof truss system. Should the roofer slip or fall, the cable connected to the anchor will tend to prevent them from falling off the roof and being severely injured.
One of the problems in previously known safety systems is that if the anchor is mounted adjacent on the peak and on the same side of the truss as where the roofer is working, then the steel cable extending between the anchor and the safety harness worn by the roofer will be fed over the edge of the sheathing attached to the truss. Since the cable is made from steel, if a roofer falls that cable can cause substantial damage to the plywood sheets that are used as sheathing, especially to the edge region which is in direct contact with the cable. This damage is essentially caused as the steel cable slams with force into the wood or plywood when the cable connected to the safety harness lanyard suddenly has to bear the roofer's full weight. The impact of the cable can slice and splinter the sheathing and potentially damage the structural integrity of the same.
There is therefore a need in the art for an improved safety anchor system that includes a force attenuation device that will tend to distribute and reduce the forces involved in the event of this type of accident and which will thereby tend to minimize the potential damage to the sheathing.